When she heard that Lu Zhao has arrived, Tang Shirou’s pretty face turned pale, and she hurriedly put her hand down, unable to move forward or backward.
Shen Qingyao felt awkward and silently repeated comforted herself that he definitely didn’t hear it. It couldnt be so coincidental, right? Only after thinking so did she dare to turn around and look behind her.
Two figures walked side by side through the palace gate, one in black and one in white. One stern and one gentle, both tall and graceful, with exceptional elegance. Shen Qingyao couldn’t help but hold her breath, quickly drawn to the unfamiliar young man in black beside Lu Zhao.
The black-clad young man looked about twenty-five, with sharp features and a compelling aura. His handsome face, with eyes like cold stars, showed no emotion, exuding a chilly demeanor. As he walked, his movements revealed an extremely restrained and elegant demeanor, a natural and indescribable nobility. He was the Fifth Prince, Xiao Mu.
Suddenly, he looked up in their direction, devoid of any emotion, and his gaze swept across Shen Qingyao, making her shiver. The icy demeanor of the male lead was not an exaggeration.
His gaze didn’t linger on Shen Qingyao for long, quickly settling on Shen Qingli, her Elder Sister standing beside her. In the corner of her eyes, she saw her Elder Sister visibly relax, no longer cold-faced, as her Elder Sister smiled with radiant eyes, brightening up the surroundings.
Shen Qingyao read a message on her Elder Sister’s face: The reinforcement has arrived!
Whether it was Shen Qingyao’s illusion or not, she felt that when Xiao Mu looked at her Elder Sister, his whole demeanor softened, at least not emitting an indiscriminate cold aura.
[Is this the dreamlike first encounter of the main leads?] The system sighed in awe.
It might not be their first encounter, Shen Qingyao thought as she recalled the male voice she heard that night in her Elder Sister’s courtyard.
As the two men approached, the noble ladies in the vicinity greeted them, despite Xiao Mu not being particularly favored. His royal identity and military achievements were genuine, but his notorious reputation was also real. Xiao Mu ignored them and walked straight to Shen Qingli, asking in a deep voice, “What are you doing?”
Hearing his voice, Shen Qingyao widened her eyes slightly. Alright, the case was solved; the man from that night was indeed Xiao Mu. It wasn’t surprising at all.
Shen Qingli took two steps forward to meet him, looking up at him with her beautiful eyes lingering on his face. She had the appearance of an infatuated girl. “Nothing much. Yaoyao and I just arrived, and Miss Tang is chatting with us.”
Shen Qingli gave Tang Shirou a meaningful glance, then asked Xiao Mu, “Why are you here? Is it over on that side?” Her voice was soft, completely unveiling her admiration for Xiao Mu.
The dignified and gentle young lady had suddenly become a girl in love with stars in her eyes. Shen Qingyao was astonished, her eyes moving back and forth between her Elder Sister and Xiao Mu, trying to figure out something.
“Is this the setting of the female lead? Is the female lead really this tender?”
The system was optimistic. [Host, as long as the main leads fall in love with each other, it is not out of character!]
“…Fine.” As long as it didn’t affect her mission, let her Elder Sister be tender.
Shen Qingyao didn’t pay attention to them anymore and turned her head, only to find Lu Zhao staring at her with a dark face.
Shen Qingyao panicked again. “Why is he glaring at me? Did he really hear me talking nonsense??!!!”
—Is it still possible to disappear from this book now…
Obviously, it was too late. Just as Shen Qingyao was about to despair, Shen Qingli suddenly lifted the corner of her mouth, glanced back and forth between Lu Zhao and her younger sister, and decided not to disturb the little couple here to deepen their relationship. She gave a meaningful look to Tang Shirou and pulled Xiao Mu away, saying, “I want to go over there. Will you accompany me, Your Highness?”
Xiao Mu naturally wouldn’t refuse. Shen Qingli smiled again, “Yaoyao is not feeling well, so don’t wander around with me. Yong Master Lu, can I entrust her to you?”
Shen Qingyao : No! Eldest sister, if you love me, don’t hand me over to him at this moment!
Shen Qingli may really not love her anymore. After nodding at Lu Zhao, Shen Qingli pulled Xiao Mu and walked away without looking back.
Shen Qingyao looked anxiously as her Elder Sister and the male lead walked away, sighing. Lu Zhao frowned even deeper, staring at her, wondering what she was thinking.
*Cough.* Lu Zhao lightly coughed, bringing Shen Qingyao back to attention.
Shen Qingyao felt uneasy and couldn’t help asking the system, “What should I say now?”
The system replied coldly, [Of course, you should pursue him. Do I need to teach you that?]
“…Do I need to offer you a cigarette1?”
Shen Qingyao felt like asking the system was pointless. It’s as reliable as a pig climbing a tree2!
Shen Qingyao lowered her head, lifted it slightly after a while, but seeing Lu Zhao’s expression still not good, she lowered it again. In this situation, she couldn’t muster the courage to face Lu Zhao.
Tang Shirou noticed the strange atmosphere between the two and her eyes flashed with a hint of cunning. She clenched her fists, thinking that Shen Qingyao was just bluffing earlier. She felt triumphant, thinking that there’s no way Young Master Lu would be swayed by someone like Shen Qingyao!
Lu Zhao, who had always had a gentle temperament, wasn’t as scary once Xiao Mu left. So, Tang Shirou boldly approached him, “Young Master, I haven’t had a chance to thank you for saving my life last time. Seeing you today finally fulfills my wish.”
She smiled gracefully, cheeks slightly blushing, hands tightly twisted together, showing extreme nervousness and shyness, with none of the arrogance she had earlier.
Shen Qingyao looked at them inexplicably and suddenly realized, why should she feel awkward? Shouldn’t it be Lu Zhao who felt awkward? They were already engaged, so why were there still girls outside thinking about him? She raised her head to glare at Lu Zhao, questioning him with her eyes.
Seeing the girl’s twisted expression, Lu Zhao couldn’t help but suppress a laugh. He couldn’t understand why the girl had changed so much in just a few days, but he also thought it wouldn’t be bad for her to be bolder.
He stepped aside to avoid Tang Shirou’s salute, his voice cold and distant, “Miss Tang seems to have remembered wrong. When did I save you?”
Tang Shiro was stunned, not expecting him to completely forget, “It was… it was a year ago in…”
“Even if such a thing happened, the one who saved you was one of my guards. What does it have to do with me? No need to thank me. If you insist, there are many guards in the mansion; Miss Tang can find one to thank.”
Lu Zhao found her annoying and just wanted to send her away. Without waiting for Tang Shirou to respond, he interrupted, “Miss Tang doesn’t seem as delicate as Yaoyao. Miss Tang as strong as an ox, finding a guard should not be difficult.”
Tang Shiro’s face turned pale. The phrase ‘strong as an ox’ was undoubtedly mocking her, referring to her previous insult to Shen Qingyao.
[Haha! Strong as an ox? In our dynasty, delicate women are considered beautiful. He praised her for being strong as an ox? Quite a mockery!] The system voiced Shen Qingyao’s thoughts, finding it hard not to burst into laughter.
Tang Shirou tugged at the corners of her mouth, unable to laugh. Being called ‘as strong as an ox’ by her crush was quite embarrassing, “Is… is that so? I… I understand… I’ll take my leave…”
Without finishing her speech, she gave Shen Qingyao a resentful look, covered her face, and left with her people.
[Tsk tsk tsk, her eyes are red…]
“If it were me, I could be embarrassed to the point of tears. This is a hell-level social death!”
“Why are you in a daze again?” Suddenly, Lu Zhao tapped her forehead with his fingers, forcibly interrupting her and the system’s sarcastic comments.
Shen Qingyao covered her forehead, looking at him with a grievance on her face. How could White Moonlight use his hands like this?
[Host! Pay attention to your persona!!!] The system started nagging again. Shen Qingyao rolled her eyes, removed her hand from her forehead, and the distressed expression disappeared. She stared at Lu Zhao with determination, showing a possessiveness that Lu Zhao couldn’t understand.
Lu Zhao was momentarily stunned, looking at her with interest, as if expecting her to say something.
Shen Qingyao’s face turned cold, and she said coldly, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao actually saved Miss Tang?”
Lu Zhao raised an eyebrow, “Whether I saved her or not, it has already been clarified.”
But Shen Qingyao wanted to pick a fight and chose to selectively ignore it. She just sarcastically said, “I didn’t expect Brother Lu Zhao to be so compassionate.”
Lu Zhao seemed to sense a hint of jealousy and found it amusing. He leaned closer to her, “How could it be? Right now, my whole being belongs to Yaoyao. If Yaoyao forbids it, how could I dare to save others? What if one day Yaoyao gets angry and divorces3 me? What should I do then?”
Shen Qingyao trembled, feeling desperate. He really heard it!!! But she had to maintain a high and cold appearance. She glanced at him sideways, and he looked relaxed as if saying, “Go ahead, I can handle any acting.”
Shen Qingyao gritted her teeth, thinking that she’s not afraid of being compared to dirt or grease. Who’s afraid of whom?
So she raised her chin slightly, trying hard to imitate the style from the books the system gave her. Squinting her eyes threateningly, she said, “Is that so? Then, Elder Brother Lu Zhao, you must be careful. In the future, don’t save strange people anymore! You can only belong to me!”
Lu Zhao laughed, seeing the girl’s expression getting worse. He restrained his laughter and said, “Sure, sure. Can’t I even smile at others or be kind to others anymore? Should I cover my face too?” The actor was very sophisticated, even taking the initiative to enhance the performance.
Shen Qingyao paused, thinking that even if he was really good-looking, it wasn’t necessary. But now, she has a possessive and paranoid persona, so she nodded approvingly, “Sure.”
*Pfft*. Lu Zhao couldn’t help but burst into laughter. He reached out and patted Shen Qingyao’s head. There was no displeasure at all. Instead, Shen Qingyao blushed awkwardly, cursing inside. What a broken persona setting! She can’t act at all!
After laughing enough, Lu Zhao slowly said, “I didn’t expect our Yaoyao to be so domineering?”
Shen Qingyao’s heart skipped a beat. Did he notice that the persona setting changed too fast and something was off? But before she could say anything, he continued, “It’s good this way. In front of me, Yaoyao can be more bold.”
Compared to her previous cautious and obedient self, the current Shen Qingyao was obviously more lively and cute. Lu Zhao thought to himself that this little girl should be this bold and flamboyant.
Shen Qingyao was stunned, not expecting him to say that. To be more daring? She slowly curved her lips, feeling like she had become a female antagonist.
“Well, since you insist, I’ll fulfill your request…”
- Offering a cigarette could mean a respectful gesture, so I think Shen Qingyao meant to jokingly said “Yes, you should teach me!” when she said this. ↩︎
- “Pig climbing a tree” is an idiom that refers to something impossible or something highly unlikely ↩︎
- the word used here could mean both ‘breaking off engagement’ and ‘divorce.’ I use divorce as I think Lu Zhao should be expecting to marry Shen Qingyao asap. ↩︎